The invention relates to a variable displacement piston assembly, and to a compressor that can adjust piston stroke during operation, while maintaining low head clearance, and includes a universal joint for converting rotary motion to linear motion of the pistons.
Conventional compression systems often include a constant or variable speed motor. However, variable frequency motors or drive systems can be costly or inefficient. Alternatively, some conventional compressor systems include a constant speed motor with a compressor that can have an adjustable displacement. However, often, such variable compressors require stopping operation of the compressor to adjust the piston stroke, creating inefficiencies in the system.
In demand, is a system that will allow a compressor to run at constant speed while still being able to control capacity. Such technology can allow the use of a constant speed motor eliminating the need for variable frequency drives. Such a compressor could run at maximum efficiency at all operating conditions.
Many piston driven systems have pistons that are attached to offset portions of a crankshaft such that as the pistons are moved in a reciprocal direction transverse to the axis of the crankshaft, the crankshaft will rotate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,709, defines an engine that is attached to a crankshaft with an off set portion. A lever attached between the piston and the crankshaft is restrained in a fulcrum regulator to provide the rotating motion to the crankshaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,842, defines a four cylinder piston engine that utilizes pistons connected to a T-shaped connecting member that causes a crankshaft to rotate. The T-shaped connecting member is attached at each of the T-cross arm to a double ended piston. A centrally located point on the T-cross arm is rotatably attached to a fixed point, and the bottom of the T is rotatably attached to a crank pin which is connected to the crankshaft by a crankthrow which includes a counter weight.
In each of the above examples, pistons are used that drive a crankshaft that has an axis transverse to the axis of the pistons.
The features and advantages of the present disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the present disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the present disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.